Death wobble at 45.

Ok so i have lifted my jeep, its got 3.5icnh rubicon springs bastard pack rear, rusty adjustable track bar!! I have 31 inch tires, so when i drive at 45 it starts to wobble though if i speed up a little it stops, if i slow down under 45 it stops!!! Im stumped

My understanding of “death wobble” is this. Somewhere in the vehicle, one or more components is worn beyond tolerances, and when oscillation initiates from a suspension “traumatic” event (hitting a bump or a pothole) or also when a vibration reaches a certain point and harmonic at a certain speed, it causes the other components to react. This is called the “multiplier effect”, where one component affects one or more other components as the event travels through the front end of the vehicle.

Death wobble is not uncommon with the XJ. It is even more common with a lifted XJ. Finding the worn component or components is not always easy. It can sometimes be downright difficult. Sometimes it’s obvious, other times everything appears to be okay when you perform an inspection on a hoist, but getting the vehicle up in the air and going over everything with a fine tough comb is always a good first step. It is very helpful if you know exactly how to perform a comprehensive inspection of every single front end part, looking for abnormal wear and or play in that hardware. If you do not know how to do this type of inspection, pay an experienced professional to do it. Be sure to ask them if they are familiar with “death wobble”, as not all technicians are versed in this…..

Check out the below link if you would like some extensive reading on “death wobble” causes and cures. From my research, Kevin (the author of this tutorial) is possibly the best in the business with tracking down root cause of death wobble. He does offer hardware for sale that can help resolve death wobble, but even if you don’t buy any parts from him, you can still get some excellent ideas on what to look at in resolving your death wobble.

http://www.kevinsoffroad.com/how-to-fix-your-own-death-wobble/

Possible causes of death wobble are listed below. Isolating death wobble is a process of elimination and the root cause is not always obvious and it can often be caused by a combination of things! From my personal experience, I would first concentrate on the track bar and the control arms and associated bushings.
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-Front tires out of balance (try swapping fronts to rear; see if symptoms change)
-Tire pressure. Don’t laugh. It’s not a root cause but can exaggerate the problem. Experiment with lower tire pressure to see if it helps
-Improper lug nut torque on wheels
-Front alignment out of spec
-Loose track bar
-Worn track bar bushings
-Worn track bar (check for play!!)
-Bad control arms and associated bushings
-Worn/damaged steering stabilizer (not generally a cause in and by itself)
-Worn/damaged shocks
-Worn/damaged tie rod end
-Bad U Joint
-Bad ball joint
-Loose frame mount
-Steering box loose
-Bad front hub assembly

Well i have tighten the track bar as tight as i can!! I did the alignment after i put all the parts on, though it would death wobble at fifty bad, before i added the bigger tires, though now after puting them on and tightening everything its only at 45

Did you read the information in the link I provided from Kevin's offroad? Provides good information on this problem for both lifted and non lifted vehicles.

Sooo, is it an uncontrollable, bone jarring, scary as hell wobble where you have to pull over to change your underwear?

If not...get your tires balanced again...that's not "death wobble".

Ok yeah its not like what it was a couple of days ago, when i first put the lift on, were you would have to stop and breath and get your heart going again, its more like a slight wobble were you can feel it in the car, it is noticeable but like you said its not were you would have to pull over to change your undys~

I actually had a similar problem, but found out that I had water in all four tires thanks to walmart not cleaning them out before they installed them.

Even if it's not death wobble, the list of suspects I posted above is still in play.

Check your caster on your front alignment and your toes as well. N

Easy/free way to check tire balance.. rotate rear to front and see if there is a difference.

Got them re balanced, still wobble, i notice the stearing stablizer is leaking bad, could that be it

byrinxx74 said:

Got them re balanced, still wobble, i notice the stearing stablizer is leaking bad, could that be it

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It is possible, but I doubt it. DW is usually alignment/suspension related. When I swapped in a newer draglink/pitman TRE, I ran for a few days without a steering stabilizer. Only thing that affected was a little bit of play in the steering.
Definitely check your toe.

A new steering stabilizer might mask the problem, but rarely is a worn stabilizer the cause of the problem.

Flyfisher said:

A new steering stabilizer might mask the problem, but rarely is a worn stabilizer the cause of the problem.

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Agreed. The stabilizer certainly has it's place as there are very few XJs that don't have some worn components. The stabilizer helps to mediate for those worn components and temper the effects. I prefer an oversize stabilizer; the OEM is a wimp. I installed a Rancho unit and it helped in a number of ways including bumpsteer and minor vibes. Well worth the $50. When a component reaches a point where it overrides what a stabilize can help temper, I isolate and replace that component.

Well i went back to the big o that i got the tires, aligned, and they said that the tires, are gone, though they have about 80% tread left, they said that when they put it on the balance machine, the tires some will wobble back and forth and then some will go up and down, as to say that they are worbed, have you ever heard of this, or are they full of you know hat.

the bands in the tire can seperate and cause what they described. where did you get the tires? any dry rot?